Posted on August 13th, 2022.

The water may have receded after Central Alabama experienced torrential rainfall on June 8, but problems could still linger.

The National Weather Service reports that Talladega and Jefferson counties had the most rainfall between six and eight inches.

The flash flooding this week was dangerous and can still cause issues.

“They’ll have roof leaks,” said Brad Jones. “They’ll have it come in through windows. They’ll have it come in under doors.” Jones is the Director of Commercial Large Loss at SERVPRO of Birmingham.

They received over 200 phone calls following Wednesday’s flash flood.

Jones says if any of the water is left untreated for a long period of time, your home could sustain significant damage. The water can bring anything and everything inside.

“Think of anything that’s outside in the dirt and that could be your dog using the restroom outside or an animal or whatever,” said Jones. “When that water enters your home, it’s bringing that in with it. That could be bacteria, contaminates, could be pesticides, fertilizer, whatever is in the ground.”

That’s why it’s important to not only remove the water quickly but properly.

Jones says even if you’ve got the standing water up, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve taken care of the water: “It can still absorb into insulation, sheetrock, even concrete even though it may not seem like it, can absorb water.”

If it’s not all taken care of, that’s when you may eventually find mold. He adds there are steps to help mitigate a potential flooding problem.

For those who have basements, Jones says you can get a French drain to help remove water.

“Make sure that you’re maintaining your landscaping,” he adds. “Make sure that the dirt around your home is properly grated away from your home.”

For a typical residential flood project, it could take three to five days to be complete so be sure to call for help as soon as possible.

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